◎Applause and Flowers◎

This was the fifth time Chun Zao had laughed during morning reading. To prevent her deskmate from noticing, she could only hold her politics textbook up high as her fortress for her girlish heart.

The term “Princess” had surprisingly strong staying power. Just thinking about it would make her thoughts scatter like fine sugar threads spinning at high speed in a centrifuge, quickly condensing into a sickeningly sweet mass.

Cough. Chun Zao cleared her throat, dismissed distracting thoughts, and forced herself to fully invest in memorizing key points.

With midterms approaching, being distracted was taboo.

At the beginning of November, the Grade 11 midterm exams ended amid students’ wails and laments. This exam was a joint test, cooperating with another century-old key high school in Yi City – the Affiliated High School. With both schools competing, the difficulty was upgraded from monthly exams, especially for the big three subjects. When comprehensive liberal arts ended, Chun Zao felt somewhat uncertain.

But when Chun Chuzhen asked about it, she still pretended to be confident: “Should be no big problem.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t some jinxing FLAG. Four days later, Chun Zao received her grade ranking: third place.

This was her first time entering the top three since entering Yi Middle School. Because she had been placed in the key class from the start, every exam was a battle of gods. Even after the liberal arts and science division reduced competitive pressure, it was just moving from one survival-of-the-fittest biological chain to another colosseum.

This time, the difficulty of Chinese and English was blood-vomiting level, and these two subjects were Chun Zao’s specialties, so she gained significant points.

Before reviewing the test papers, Teacher Gao specifically praised Chun Zao a few more times on the podium:

“Let me mention something first – for this cloze test, only one person in the entire liberal arts class got it completely right.”

“That’s our Class 3’s English class representative.”

The whole class applauded, especially Tong Yue, who howled like she was in the front row VIP section of a concert.

Chun Zao just lowered her eyes and smiled gently.

Yi Middle School would post honor rolls for major exams to commend the top thirty outstanding students in liberal arts and sciences, displayed side by side in a showcase.

Before Class 1’s PE class, Yuan Ye didn’t rush to the sports field but instead went to the commendation board on the main avenue.

Tu Wenwei followed behind him carrying a basketball: “What’s there to see? First place – I already checked for you this morning.”

However, his deskmate stopped in front of the liberal arts class ranking announcement.

Tu Wenwei looked at him profoundly, witnessing him curve what seemed to him an extremely creepy smile, then he had a sudden realization: “Could it be…”

Yuan Ye glanced at him sideways: “Could it be what?”

Tu Wenwei had the expression of someone identifying a criminal: “Your ‘situation’ is in here, isn’t it?”

Yuan Ye smiled without answering.

Damn, a default admission?

But it was also pretty obvious – when had this guy ever paid attention to these things?

Tu Wenwei immediately approached the red-background, yellow-text ranking list for a comprehensive scan: “Who is it?”

Yuan Ye: “Let’s go.”

Tu Wenwei was nailed to the spot and began screening: “What’s the rush? Let me find them.”

Yuan Ye found this interesting and stopped urging, watching to see what he could figure out.

Tu Wenwei squinted: “I feel like this one…”

“Hmm?”

“This ‘Chun Zao’ – the name does match well with yours, and she looks pretty good too.”

Worthy of being you, Tu Wenwei.

Yuan Ye let out a laugh through his nose, his attitude unclear.

Tu Wenwei turned his head: “Is it her?”

“Give me the ball.”

“Why?”

“Time for class.”

He couldn’t stay here long, or he’d give himself away in front of his deskmate. Yuan Ye turned and tossed the ball back to dissolve his smile.

“Hey, just tell me.” Tu Wenwei caught it with both hands and chased after him: “Did I guess right or wrong? Give me a straight answer! You always have this same reaction.”

Yuan Ye looked at him: “What reaction?”

“Mysterious and secretive, always hiding things. It’s no fun if you keep being like this.”

Yuan Ye raised an eyebrow slightly: “Do I?”

Tu Wenwei nodded: “You do.”

Yuan Ye said, “If you knew, that would be the end of it.”

Tu Wenwei looked wronged: “What’s wrong with me? I can keep secrets.”

Yuan Ye snorted coldly.

“So it is on that list, right? 1/30 – Narrowing down the range makes it easier to find. Let me study it carefully after school.” Tu Wenwei rubbed his hands together, switching to Sherlock Holmes mode.

Yuan Ye was secretly amazed at how this person could be both smart and stupid. He could only offer symbolic encouragement: “Go for it, detective. I have faith in you.”

That evening at home, the rental wasn’t the cold freezer atmosphere after the last monthly exam, but warm as spring. Domino’s pizza sets and cold drinks had rarely appeared on the table, filling the air with aroma.

Yuan Ye’s lips curved up, genuinely happy for Chun Zao. After returning to his room to put down his backpack, Chun Chuzhen rarely came to his door to ask if he wanted to have a late-night snack together.

Yuan Ye thought for a moment and agreed: “Sure.”

He pulled out his phone and sent a message: Congratulations on third place.

As expected, he didn’t get an immediate reply, but it didn’t matter. When he walked out again, the girl was already sitting at the table, sipping handmade lemon tea.

Glimpsing him coming out, she paused and immediately pulled the straw from between her lips, poking it back in.

“Hey, Xiao Yuan, you sit here.” Chun Chuzhen arranged for him to sit across from Chun Zao.

Yuan Ye responded and obediently sat down, accepting a slice of pizza and a drink from Mother Chun.

Potato and bacon covered the surface. Chun Zao no longer bit into it directly but put on disposable gloves, tearing it into small pieces and chewing slowly.

Yuan Ye opened his drink lid for a sip and heard Chun Chuzhen ask with a laugh: “Xiao Yuan got first place again this time, right?”

The teenager nodded.

“Our Chun Zao improved by one place.”

Yuan Ye: “Really? Then congratulations.”

Chun Chuzhen didn’t forget to hint at the setback she’d suffered last time: “Mainly, this child knows how to work hard and has perseverance. She can progress without relying on any external help.”

Yuan Ye glanced at Chun Zao and played along: “Mm, I still need to learn more from her.”

Golden cheese strings stretched in midair. One second, two seconds – Chun Zao broke them off and wrapped them into her mouth.

Chun Chuzhen smiled broadly: “You’re being too modest.”

Yuan Ye’s gaze was sincere: “I’m serious.”

Getting the reaction she wanted, Chun Chuzhen contentedly left with “You eat, I’m going to hang laundry” and left the living room.

As soon as Mom was out of sight, Chun Zao put down her half-finished pizza, picked up a straw wrapper nearby, twisted it into a ball, and flicked it over.

The white “soft bullet” hit Yuan Ye’s wrist squarely and bounced to the floor.

Yuan Ye looked up: “What?”

Chun Zao: “Stop being so sarcastic.”

He bent down to pick up the paper ball, pinching it: “I don’t know about being sarcastic, but this counts as intentional assault, right?”

“Where did it hurt? Such a tiny thing.”

Yuan Ye gripped his wrist bone, pressing and rubbing it, his brow furrowing uncomfortably: “It hurts, okay?”

“Really?” Chun Zao was half-believing.

“Really.”

Chun Zao felt guilty, her expression freezing: “Then I’m sorry.”

How gullible. Yuan Ye couldn’t keep acting and chuckled.

“…”

“You were lying to me, weren’t you?” She glared and pulled out her straw, splashing water at him from across the distance.

Yuan Ye dodged while covering himself: “No, no—”

Seeing that her “iced tea air raid” showed no signs of stopping, he directly stood up, reached across the table, and snatched the straw from her hand.

With her fingers suddenly empty, Chun Zao’s movements stopped.

Glancing at the empty cup lid, she reached out again: “Give it back.”

Yuan Ye sat back down, inserted the “confiscated weapon” into his drink cup, looked at her without speaking or using it, like holding a hostage that could grasp the other party’s vital point but refusing to deliver the final blow.

Chun Zao gradually fell silent.

After a while, with her head burning hot, she applied verbal pressure: “Give it back – how am I supposed to drink?”

Yuan Ye tossed over his unopened straw, chin slightly raised in indication: Use this one.

Chun Zao: “…”

She resisted stubbornly, still insisting: “Give me back the one I used.”

Yuan Ye pulled the straw from his cup, leisurely: “You still want it? It’s been in my cup.”

Chun Zao was speechless.

Chun Chuzhen’s shuffling footsteps in slippers were approaching. Chun Zao silently thought “forget it,” poked the new straw out of its paper sleeve, and inserted it into the hole in her cup lid as a replacement.

In her peripheral vision, the boy placed the removed straw on a napkin and continued drinking the way he had started.

Only then did Chun Zao breathe a sigh of relief.

She lowered her head again, restraining her overly bold smile.

After washing up and returning to her bedroom, she saw Yuan Ye’s congratulatory message and replied in kind: Congratulations to you too, first place.

She deliberately asked: How did you know I got third? Don’t tell me you saw it in the office again?

Yuan Ye: However, you knew I got first, is how I knew you got third.

Chun Zao smiled and leaned against the headboard: What did you get in English this time?

Yuan Ye: 142.

Chun Zao: …

Chun Zao: Never mind then.

Yuan Ye: What do you think I should have scored?

Chun Zao: How would I know? English was pretty hard this time.

Yuan Ye said: Don’t underestimate me.

Chun Zao said: Who dares look down on you? I was just thinking.

She didn’t continue.

Yuan Ye asked: Thinking what?

Chun Zao admitted she felt somewhat defeated being compared to the maxed-out comparison object under the same roof: I should have at least one subject where I can beat you, right?

Yuan Ye: What did you get in English?

Chun Zao: Same as you.

Yuan Ye: Then I got 141, remembered wrong earlier.

Chun Zao laughed: Boring.

The boy across suddenly became serious: But you improved by one place this time. That’s not easy. Don’t let your mom’s habitual thinking affect you. Look more at those who affirm you, listen more to those voices of praise.

Chun Zao stared at this line of text, her nose slightly stinging: Mm.

Yuan Ye listed specific examples: Like your friends, classmates, and teachers. And also, your neighbor.

Chun Zao’s mind didn’t immediately catch up: My neighbor?

Yuan Ye: How many days has it been since you watered your flowers?

Chun Zao realized, flipped out of bed and ran to the window, moving the window panel as quietly as possible, poking her head out and looking left.

Sure enough, the sound of a window opening came from the boy’s side, too. White light spilled from his window frame – his room seemed to hide a moon that never dimmed.

The deep autumn night was swollen with the sweet scent of osmanthus.

Suddenly, an arm stretched out, holding a phone with a looping handheld banner scrolling on the screen, eye-catching black background with white text:

“Chun Zao is the best.”

Chun Zao burst into laughter.

After a moment, the hand withdrew. Chun Zao’s phone vibrated – she received his message: Did you see it?

Chun Zao was delighted, stopping behind the window to reply: I saw it, thank you, my neighbor.

Looking outside again, Yuan Ye’s face had appeared. In the twilight, the teenager was half-leaning out, elbow on the windowsill, silent, lips curved as he looked at her.

Chun Zao immediately shrank back like a groundhog.

Unable to maintain eye contact.

Unable to persist.

She was afraid that the next second, she would break down sobbing and show her tearful, ugly state in front of him.

She walked back into the room while roughly rubbing her burning right eye, forcing back the tears. Making such fancy gestures – how could she not be moved?

Chun Zao lay back on her bed. That night, she confirmed one thing: needing recognition wasn’t shameful, and effort wasn’t entirely a matter of fighting alone to the bitter end. Why should she only gaze up at cold trophies in high places? Whether she could hold them or not, what did it matter? Looking around, outside the arena, there would always be people giving you applause and flowers.